Unofficial · By Fizz Labs
Intermediate Korean vocabulary for TOPIK II (Levels 3–4), with example sentences
2,000 intermediate Korean words with meanings, romanization and example sentences written by Fizz Labs. Below: the first 20 words and nine second meanings learners often miss.
Full 2,000-word deck + printable workbook — $19, not on sale yet. Notify me
How the list was built
- Source: the intermediate stage (B) of the National Institute of Korean Language's “Korean Learner Vocabulary List” (한국어 학습용 어휘 목록, 2003).
- Order: the frequency rank given in that list.
- Clean-up: proper nouns and two non-dictionary forms removed, homonyms merged into one entry, giving exactly 2,000 words.
- Level mapping: linking this stage to TOPIK II Levels 3–4 is our own judgement, not an official mapping. This is not a list of words taken from TOPIK test papers.
The first 20 words (from the deck)
These rows are the first 20 cards of the deck itself, exactly as they appear in the free sample.
| Word | Meaning | Deck example |
|---|---|---|
| 등deung | back (body); etc., and so on; place (in a ranking) | 사과, 배, 포도 등 과일을 많이 샀어요.I bought a lot of fruit, such as apples, pears, and grapes. |
| 대하다daehada | to face; to treat (someone); about, regarding (-에 대해) | 한국 역사에 대해 더 알고 싶어요.I want to learn more about Korean history. |
| 위하다wihada | to do for the sake of; to care for (-을 위해) | 가족을 위해 열심히 일하고 있어요.I'm working hard for my family. |
| 사회sahoe | society; community | 우리 사회에는 다양한 사람들이 살아요.All kinds of people live in our society. |
| 따르다ttareuda | to follow; to obey; to pour (a drink) | 선생님의 설명을 따라 문제를 풀었어요.I solved the problem by following the teacher's explanation. |
| 그런geureon | such, that kind of | 그런 말은 처음 들어 봤어요.I've never heard anything like that before. |
| 데de | place; case, situation; (-는 데) in doing | 조용한 데에서 이야기하고 싶어요.I'd like to talk somewhere quiet. |
| 경우gyeongu | case, situation, circumstance | 비가 오는 경우에는 행사가 취소돼요.If it rains, the event will be canceled. |
| 중jung | middle; during, in the middle of; among | 회의 중에는 전화를 받을 수 없어요.I can't answer the phone during a meeting. |
| 자신jasin | oneself; self-confidence | 자신을 너무 탓하지 마세요.Don't blame yourself too much. |
| 문화munhwa | culture | 다른 나라의 문화를 배우는 게 재미있어요.Learning about other countries' cultures is fun. |
| 통하다tonghada | to pass through; to communicate, to get along | 그 친구와는 말이 잘 통해요.That friend and I really understand each other. |
| 소리sori | sound; noise; voice | 밖에서 이상한 소리가 들려요.I hear a strange sound outside. |
| 정도jeongdo | degree, extent; about, approximately | 집에서 회사까지 30분 정도 걸려요.It takes about 30 minutes from home to the office. |
| 보이다boida | to be seen, to be visible; to show | 창문으로 바다가 보여요.You can see the sea from the window. |
| 지나다jinada | to pass (by); (time) to go by | 벌써 한 달이 지났어요.A month has already gone by. |
| 인간ingan | human being; humans | 인간은 혼자 살 수 없어요.Humans can't live alone. |
| 사실sasil | fact, truth; actually, in fact | 사실 저는 매운 음식을 못 먹어요.Actually, I can't eat spicy food. |
| 점jeom | point; dot, spot; aspect | 이 책의 좋은 점은 설명이 쉽다는 거예요.The good thing about this book is that the explanations are easy. |
| 의하다uihada | to be based on, to be due to (-에 의하면/의해) | 뉴스에 의하면 내일 눈이 온대요.According to the news, it will snow tomorrow. |
Nine second meanings learners often miss
Many high-frequency words have a second everyday meaning. These example sentences were written by Fizz Labs for this page and are not in the deck.
- 따르다 (to pour)친구가 컵에 물을 따라 줬어요.My friend poured some water into my cup.
- 보이다 (to show)입구에서 직원에게 표를 보여 주세요.Please show your ticket to the staff at the entrance.
- 등 (back)오래 앉아 있었더니 등이 아파요.My back hurts from sitting for so long.
- 등 (place in a ranking)그 선수는 이번 대회에서 3등을 했어요.That athlete came third in this competition.
- 통하다 (by way of)이 골목을 통해 가면 시장이 나와요.If you go through this alley, you'll reach the market.
- 자신 (confidence)이번 발표는 자신이 있어요.I feel confident about this presentation.
- 지나다 (to pass by a place)버스가 학교 앞을 지나서 역으로 가요.The bus goes past the school on its way to the station.
- 정도 (limit, proper degree)농담에도 정도가 있어요.There's a limit even to jokes.
- 소리 (voice, shout)아이가 기뻐서 큰 소리를 질렀어요.The child shouted out loud with joy.
FAQ
Is this official TOPIK material? No. Unofficial study material by Fizz Labs. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the TOPIK administering bodies (NIIED). The level mapping is our own and is not official.
Are these sentences from TOPIK test papers? No. Every example sentence on this page was written by Fizz Labs. We do not reproduce TOPIK test papers.
How do I use the sample? Install Anki, download the .apkg, open it. Step by step: How to import a Korean Anki deck.